Semih Erden playing with shoulder injury
Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that rookie big man Semih Erden has been playing with a bad shoulder that requires surgery. But the Celtics have postponed the procedure because
they are badly in need of the Turkish centre.
According to Rivers, the 24-year-old centre has a labrum issue in his left shoulder, and he was quite impressed with the rookie big man for playing through it, despite frequently getting
hit during their games and practices.
“He's taken a beating this year, a typical rookie year. We don’t know if he's embracing it, we just know he’s getting hit. Even if he is not trying to get hit, he is getting hit anyway in
our practices. Overall, he is handling it pretty well. I think he’s a physical player by nature, anyway.”
Erden, who was drafted by the Celtics in the 2008 NB draft, is averaging 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in eight games for the Celtics this season. Although his numbers are not glaring, Rivers
said that Erden’s toughness is valuable to their team, especially with Jermaine O’Neal and Kendrick Perkins out with injuries.
“He has exceeded expectations,” said Rivers about Erden, who helped Turkey finish second in the World Championship during the off-season. “This summer, his back was hurt, so in summer league,
if you watched, you didn’t see much. We didn’t really know what we were getting.”
Shaquille O’Neal, on the other hand, also praised the Turkish big man for staying focused and motivated despite playing with a nagging injury.
The veteran big man and future Hall of Famer believes that Erden will improve a lot, although he knows that Erden will eventually need to undergo shoulder surgery later this season, depending
on Jermaine O’Neal and Perkins’ status.
“I think he has a nagging shoulder problem, it'll probably require surgery at end of the season, but he’s sucking it up and playing with it,” O’Neal said. “He's a young guy; I’ve seen his
type, trying to show what he can do. I know one thing- when he goes back to Turkey next year for the Summer Games, he’s going to be different.”
Erden and the Boston Celtics are currently on top in the Eastern Conference and they will try to stay on top when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on 19 November.
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